Cutting boots and shoes



UNITED STATES NT FICE,

JOHN CHILCOTT AND ROBERT SNELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

CUTTING BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,009, dated September 13, 1858; Ressued July 7, 1857, No. 477.

T 0 all w/Lom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, JOHN CI-HLcoTr and ROBERT SNELL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Boots; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a side view of a boot, constructed according to our improvements. Fig. 2, shows the opposite side of the same. Fig. 3, is a back view of the same. Fig. 4, shows the shape of the piece of leather or material from which the boot is made; and Fig. 5, shows the piece partly folded into the form of a boot.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

ln the manufacture of boots, as at present carried on, the fronts require to undergo the process of crimping, which is a very laborious and consequently expensive operation, and weakens the leather to a very great degree. It moreover precludes the employment of any material that is inelastic or that would be injured by stretching, unless the boot be made in several pieces; the front requiring at least two pieces, as in the case of patent leather boots manufactured in the common way. The manufacture of boots without crimping, and without making the front in two pieces, has been attempted in France., so far back as the year 18442, by M. M. Thomas and Hairion, who made the boots each of a single piece of leather, with the exception of a gusset, which was inserted on one side in order to make it complete.

But, in these boots, though they might have been fitted to the front part of any foot, no

provision was made for litting t-he evervarying sizes of leg and heel; and, in many cases, the part of the boot technically called the nick, instead o-f fitting closely into the junction of the top of the foot with the leg, must have been halfway down the instep. In other cases, it would not have been possible to iit the boot to the heel so that it would retain its proper position. Boots have been made in Belgium, from one piece of leather, without crimping, and without the addition of the gusset; but these are liable to the saine objections above named.

Our invention consists in a certain new method of cutting out or otherwise forming a piece of leather, or other material, so that it may be folded, without crimping and without the addition of gussets or other pieces, to take the required form for what is commonly termed the upper leather of a. boot, to it any foot, heel, and leg, not positively deformed, with the greatest accuracy.

To enable those skilled in t-he art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction.

rlhe shape of the piece shown in F ig. t, is suitable for a boot for either foot; but as one side of a. boot made in this way presents a somewhat neater appearance than the other, we make one from a piece of form precisely the reverse of the other, and this enables us to bring the neatest side of the boot-which is seen in Fig. 2,-to the outside of the foot. The view, Fig. et, shows the inside of a piece to form a boot for the left foot. rThe part, A, included between the lines, a Z9, c d, and d e, will form one entire side of the boot. The part, B, between the line, a Z), and the edge, j, will form the other side of the leg and heel, and will extend part-ly along the side of the foot, but this part may be cut off anywhere below the red line, y', so as not to reach beyond the side of the heel. The part, C, divided olf by the line, Z e, and the cut, g, will form the side of the foot to unite with the side, B, of the leg, and leave a piece, L, to go'around the heel to the side, A. The piece, D, between the line, c CZ, and the eut, g, and edge, z', forms a lap for the front seam. A cut, 7c, is made in the line, a to about the height of the top of the heel. ln forming the boot, the piece is folded in the lin-e, a b, to lay the part, B, on the part, A; the edge, f, being brought even with the line, c (Z. The lap, D, is then folded over the edge, f, and the part, C, is folded in the line, Z e, and laid over the lower parts of A, and, B. The piece, in the state now described, is exhibited in Fig. 5, where the edge of the covered part of, B, is indicated by a dotted line, Z m, supposed to be seen through, C. rThe part, /L, then requires to be turned around the heel, and the boot 1s then ready for closing, either by stitching, cementing, or other means of fastening, and when closed, it receives the sole as usual. The rules for fitting boots made in this way are substantially the same llt) as for fitting those made in the usual way. rlhe angle :formed by the lines, c d, and, d e, will have to be altered to suit the height of the instep of the wearer, and will also depend in a measure upon the height of the heel of the boot. The eut, is, will, in almost every case, require to be opened, that is, the sides parted, as shown by the dotted lines in F ig. 3, to give the necessary form to the heel, and the opening will be covered by the piece, it; the width of opening or separation will depend on the size of the heel, a broad or long heel requiring a greater opening than a narrow or shortone. The red line in Fig, 5, shows the difference oi' shape, in profile, required for a large leg with the same sized foot; and it will be seen by the dotted part of the line, supposed to be seen through, 7L, that if the heel were made without opening, as in the case in M. M. Thomas and l-lairions, the form would be such that the boot could not retain its position on the heel, but would have a tendency to slip off. The blue line on the heel, in the same figure shows the form that may be given by slitting the lower part of the back, and properly turning the part, 7L. No wast-e of leather is involved by making the heel double, as the double part will give all or nearly all the necessary stiii'ening.

The form of the piece shown in Fig. 4, may be modified to a certain extent. Ne sometimes bring the front lap piece, D, inside the piece, B; and in that case, we cut out the piece indicated by, l), in the drawing, but leave a piece of corresponding form outside the line there indicated by, f. A

short boot may be made by retaining only the lower part of the piece.

Having thus decribed the nature of our invention, and the manner in which we have used the same with perfect success, we will proceed to describe what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

Wve do not claim as our invention, the manufacture of boots without crimping; but

What we do claim is- The form of the piece of leather or other material, substantially as shown in Fig. 4f, and herein described, by which we are enabled to make what is termed the upper leather of a boot to it any leg, foot, and heel, not absolutely deformed, oit' one piece, without crimping or joining other pieces thereto; the distinguishing characteristics of this form beingthat one half or side of the boot is formed by a part, A, without joint, and the other half or side by the junction of a part, B, folded from the back of the side,

A, and a part, C 7L, which is partly cut from, or which when fiat lies close or near to, the front of A, above the instep, and partly folded over from the instep; the part, C /L, being of such form as to form one side of the foot, andL extend around the heel to the other side, A, and cover an opening made in the lower part of the back, to give the required form to the heel, and to also make )art or all of the necessary stii'i'ening.

JOHN CHILCGTT. ROBT. SHELL. litnesses S. H. WTALEs, G. D. MUNN.

[FIRST PRINTED 1913.] 

